Still in the cold, Bangaru scratches BJP’s Babri spot

In a hint at senior party leaders accused in the Babri Masjid case who are in the list of candidates, he added: ‘‘After all, there are people against whom there are chargesheets. You have simply termed these political.’’

However, Bangaru remained hopeful that the party would do a rethink on his nomination. ‘‘Let us see, the CEC may think afresh on Saturday. The Rajasthan CM wants me, the state BJP chief wants me, Jalore BJP wants me, all six BJP MLAs from the constituency are canvassing for me. No other candidate has as much support as me. By denying me a ticket, we are losing a chance to snatch Jalore from Congress.’’

Bangaru is pained that the CEC didn’t even bother hearing him out. ‘‘Whosoever advised Vajpayeeji against my candidature has done so with a wrong assessment. The CEC should have heard me. I would have explained my position. It is a pity that when the fate of a former president is being decided, he learns from the media that he has been denied a ticket.’’

Bangaru believes the party had also sent a wrong message to the Dalits by sidelining him. ‘‘I may be tainted and disgraced, but I have given 35 years to this party,’’ he says. ‘‘If those who have become managers of the party will do it to me, what do you know might happen to the party?’’

However, the former BJP president is not willing to take names. He merely says: ‘‘Some people targeted me by planting false reports in the media about my style of working. They attacked me for putting my photograph alongside Vajpayeeji and Advaniji’s in office and for getting my name written on the board outside. They actually felt jealous because they felt that I was moving very fast, taking Dalits along. Naturally, whatever assessment such people make will not be correct.’’

When pointed out that the BJP leadership was obviously worried about the fallout of the cash-on-camera scam in which he is an accused, Bangaru said: ‘‘Who is going to bother about it when everybody is focused on Prime Minister A.B. Vajpayee’s leadership, governance and development?’’ As for the Opposition, he said: ‘‘They have been trying to make it an issue for three years, but to no avail.’’

Bangaru said the sole allegation against him was that ‘‘I took money for the party’’. He asks: ‘‘Is there any law in this country saying a party president will not take any contribution?…I did not hold any post in the Government.’’ The inquiry by a commission, he says, also centres only on whether the money went to the party or not. ‘‘Had I been allowed to contest, certain issues would have been settled by the people.’’